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Hugh of Harrowfield
Hugh of Harrowfield, also known as Red, or Iubdan, is the Lord and chieftain of Harrowfield. He is a Briton, the oldest son of Lady Anne, and the older brother of Simon. Red is the male protagonist of the first Sevenwaters book, Daughter of the Forest, even though he only shows up more or less at the middle of book. He's trying to find is brother at the enemy's territory (Sevenwaters) when he discovers a girl, Sorcha, drowning. He saves her and takes her home to Harrowfield, in order to find out what happened to Simon from her. Biography Early Life Born Hugh of Harrowfield, a Briton. He is the oldest son of Lady Anne and an unnamed man who was the previous Lord and head of Harrowfield. He, Simon and Elaine were childhood friends and often played with one and another. His father died when he was young. He was betrothed to Elaine before Sorcha came into the picture. In Daughter of the Forest Red travels to Erin to try and find clues of his missing brother, Simon, who was employed by his uncle in the conflict between the Britons and those of Sevenwaters. Accompanying Red are his closest friends, Ben and John, who is also his distant cousin. While close to the forest of Sevenwaters, he discovers a girl (Sorcha) drowning in a lake during a storm, and jumps in to rescue her. The seemingly feral girl is terrified of him, and it seems as if she doesn't understand the language of the Britons. Among the items in her bag, he finds a wooden carving that seems to have been Simon's handiwork. This leads him to correctly suspect that Sorcha is somehow involved in Simon's disappearance. He decides to take her back with him to Harrowfield to see if he can unravel the mystery further. When the group is ambushed by some of Seamus Redbeard's men on the way, Red and Sorcha are separated from the others and Red discovers that Sorcha can in fact understand English when he tells her to defend herself with a knife hidden in his bootstrap and she obeys. He becomes more protective over her, even taking care of in a cave they stay in and even confronts the Lady of the Forest and the Bright One when he believes that they intend to harm her. He also promises them both that he'd protect her with his entire being. They later arrive at a convent on the way back to Harrowfield, where after prompting from the nuns there he names her Jenny, after a jenny wren. At Harrowfield, Red allows Sorcha to stay in the household as a guest, despite much disapproval from his people and his mother, Lady Anne, who believe that Sorcha is some sort of wild sorceress. He does his best to protect her and allows her to continue to spin her starwort shirts, although he dislikes how she harms her fingers in the process. Red and Sorcha become closer, with Red learning how to understand her through watching her gestures and facial expressions. He gradually falls in love with her and takes her to his and Simon's special place. He tells her a story of the love between a man and a mermaid and afterwards tells her he is traveling back to Erin because of some rumors that he has heard of his brother. He proposes to her and gives her a ring that he has carved, telling her that she'd be safer as his fiancee. He then leaves and does not come back until Sorcha is being burnt at the stake. Red goes to the west, and finds his brother. While returning to Harrowfield, Ben arrives to alert them of what has happened at Harrowfield, namely that Sorcha has been wrongly accused of treason and witchcraft and will burn at the stake if something isn't done about it. Red is furious. He rides like the wind to Harrowfield, with Ben and Simon. He arrives just in time to witness the transformation of Sorcha's brothers as the spell is broken and he saves her from being burnt, taking an arrow to the shoulder in the process. Red is heartbroken as Sorcha leaves with her brothers to go back to Sevenwaters. He later travels to Sevenwaters, after sorting everything out and passing his position as Lord of Harrowfield to Simon. He is brought before Lord Collum blindfolded by Liam and pleads his case in the form of a story with Conor acting as a translator. In the end, He and Sorcha officially become a couple and he becomes an accepted member of the Sevenwaters household, proving useful in his extensive knowledge of farming and animal husbandry. He even earns the nickname Iubdan, after a character in a famous Irish folktale (a play on his height as Red is called "the big man" while Iubdan from the story is described as "a wee man" who even almost drowns in a bowl of porridge). In Son of the Shadows Nineteen years later, Red is living happily at Sevenwaters with Sorcha, and they have three children, Niamh, Sean and Liadan. Sorcha falls seriously ill, and it is clear that she has only a year to live. Red is grief stricken, and becomes even more protective of Sorcha than he already is, catching her when she stumbles and making sure she is not hurt. Red fears Sorcha's imminent death, not knowing what he would do without her. When the second Eamonn of the Marshes proposes to Liadan, Red tells her that it is her choice whether to accept. He says, 'Your choice will be your own, little one' and Liadan predicts that he will come to regret those words in the future. This comes to pass, when Liadan falls in love with Bran, the Painted Man. Soon after, Niamh is found having an affair with a young Druid, Ciaran. Red is furious with her, and willingly agrees to send her away to be wed to Fionn of the Uill Neill, though he does love her. He works with the men of Sevenwaters to keep the affair from Sorcha, not wanting to distress her. Liadan accompanies Niamh to her wedding, but disappears as she is returning to Sevenwaters. When she finally returns, she is pregnant, but does not tell Red yet, as she fears his reaction. Eventually, she tells him, and Red comes to accept it as the baby was conceived in love. During the babe's birth, Red is present and helps Sorcha and Fat Janis deliver the babe. Immediately afterwards, Sorcha realises who Liadan's mysterious lover is, and asks Red to return to Briton after her death to find out what became of Margery and her son. Red agrees, reluctantly. On the eve of Sorcha's final day, Liadan tells the family of Sevenwaters of the truth behind Niamh's so called abduction from Sidhe Dubh, that Niamh was trying to escape her abusive husband. She also states her believe that Niamh is not dead as the household of Sevenwaters was led to believe. She also finally reveals that the father of her child is the infamous Painted Man. Red is furious at her for not telling them about Niamh, and of her choice of suitor. He loses his temper, but Finbar tells him not to ruin Sorcha's final night, and so he calms down. As Sorcha lies dying, with her family around her, she asks Red to tell her the story of Toby and the Mermaid one last time, for it was her favorite. Red does so, grief-stricken, for he was hoping to say goodbye to Sorcha in private and knows that by the end of the story she will be dead. He begins, but stops, unable to continue because of his grief. The rest of the family pick up where he left off, and finish the story for him. By the end, Sorcha is dead. Soon after, the rest of the family leave Red alone with his dead wife, and he stays by her body for a long time. At Sorcha's funeral, her brothers together farewell her, and ask that Red stand with them. Red at first refuses, out of bitterness and grief, saying that he was never one of them and does not belong with them. But Liam insists, telling him that they consider him a brother, and finally Red agrees. Days later, Red leaves for Briton, and has a tearful farewell with Liadan and Sean. In Briton, he finds out what has happened to Harrowfield in his long absence, and sees that it is not how it once was. He realises that he is resented for leaving Harrowfield. He finds out what happened to Margery and her son, that Margery was killed while travelling to visit her sister in Elvington, and her son Johnny was found by a feared abusive villager, Rory, who had a vendetta against Red, and was taught to hate Red and was horribly abused. Then when Johnny was nine years old, he killed Rory and fled Briton, forming his band of Painted Men. Red would have stayed to help Simon run Harrowfield, but is forced to return to Erin when he receives news that Liam is dead and that Sean is now Lord of Sevenwaters, knowing that his duty lies with helping his son. Upon returning to Erin, two men from Bran's group find him and lead him to where Liadan, Bran, her son and others are staying. Red helps Liadan heal Bran's soul and help him wake up by telling Liadan Bran's story and Margery's love for her son. After Bran's recovery, Red proposes that Bran go to Harrowfield and take over from Simon there one day. Bran says he will go to Harrowfield in the future, but not right away, because of his father, John. He does not forgive Red for what happened, but says that he understands that there was more to the story than what he had heard before. Red understands, although he is still not happy. After making sure that Liadan and his grandson will be safe with the Painted Man and his band, Red returns to Sevenwaters to advise Sean. Death Red dies nineteen years later, most likely of pneumonia. A funeral is held for him at Sevenwaters. During Samhain when Fainne is at Sevenwaters, he is mentioned by Conor during the ritual of honouring the dead. Physical appearance Red is tall with red hair. Personality Appears on *Daughter of the Forest *Son of the Shadows Category:Characters Category:Britons